News

Huawei shipped 140 million smartphones in 2016

Published

December 28, 2016

Monch Lopez

Although Huawei didn’t get the green light from Google to make a Nexus 6P successor (the big G instead gave HTC a shot at redemption with the Pixel phones), 2016 has been a good year for the Chinese phone maker. Exceptionally good, actually.

It is currently the third-biggest OEM behind Samsung and Apple, though this may not be the case a year or two from now. It actually aims to sell more handsets than Apple by 2018. Oh, and it made some $200 million from Android devices, becoming the world’s most profitable Android maker, albeit in part due to the Galaxy Note 7 recall and discontinuation.

[irp posts=”2258″ name=”Huawei P9 and P9 Plus gear up for Southeast Asia release”]

And 2016 keeps getting better for Huawei. The company today said it hit its sales target for the year, and has shipped 140 million smartphones globally thus far, including over 10 million P9 and P9 Plus units since April and 7 million Mate 8s. In the third quarter alone, it shipped over 33 million units, a 23 percent improvement over the same period last year.

Not only that, Huawei has set a new sales record after posting its best-ever year in 2015. Notably, Huawei managed to sell 108 million handsets throughout the previous year. What’s even more impressive is that Huawei’s latest premium models, the Mate 9, Mate 9 Pro, and Porsche Design Mate 9, haven’t made it to stores in the U.S. and Europe yet. And that it has sold more units than ever without Google’s Nexus/Pixel branding, and despite growing competition from other Chinese OEMs.

Huawei has yet to announce its goals for 2017, but there’s clearly a lot of work to be done to make next year even more memorable for the company. It will be interesting to see if it has more upside to offer after back-to-back years of incredible growth.

[irp posts=”8065″ name=”Apple rules smartphone profits, Chinese brands distant second”]

Source: Android Headlines

Related Topics:Huawei Mate 8 Mate 9 P9 P9 Plus

News

Apple reportedly gives up on the Vision Pro

But Apple will continue to sell the current model.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

When they unveiled the Vision Pro in 2023, Apple touted the wearable as the next big thing after the iPhone. Now, almost three years removed from the launch, the Vision Pro hasn’t really taken over the coveted spot occupied by the iPhone. Apple, according to a report, is allegedly canning the short-lived wearable.

According to MacRumors, Apple has reportedly given up on making the Vision Pro a thing. The team handling the wearable has supposedly been subsumed by other teams within Apple.

If true, the wearable’s end is unfortunate but not surprising. Despite being out for years, the Vision Pro has sold only a little more than half a million units with numerous returns from customers. Most recently, Apple updated the wearable with the M5 chip, but the move hasn’t revitalized the device’s status in Apple’s lineup.

Most of the complaints about the device stem from its exorbitant price or its cumbersome battery pack. Besides costing a whopping US$ 3,499, the Vision Pro is also difficult to move around with, especially because of its total weight and a battery pack that can get in the way.

To be clear, Apple has not officially discontinued the Vision Pro yet. The company continues to sell the version with the M5 chip. Apple can also restart development in the future.

However, the meantime retirement on future development does coincide with the recent restructuring inside the company. Tim Cook recently decided to step down as CEO with John Ternus as his replacement. Canning the Vision Pro might be Ternus’ first step in redefining Apple according to his plans.

Apps

YouTube makes picture-in-picture mode free for everyone globally

The update is rolling out globally now.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Picture-in-picture (or PiP) mode is a godsend for multitaskers. The feature lets users watch videos in a tiny floating window while doing other tasks. However, the feature isn’t readily available for all users. Or wasn’t, at least. YouTube is now rolling out PiP mode for free globally.

Previously, PiP mode was exclusive to YouTube users who pay for Premium or Premium Lite. It was also exclusive to the United States.

Now, YouTube is making the feature completely free for users all over the globe. It will be available for both iOS and Android versions of the app.

There’s still a catch, though. The free version is available only for “longform, non-music content.” The same goes for Premium Lite subscribers. Music is still an exclusive feature for those who pay for the regular version of Premium. Basically, there is no change for paying users or users in the United States.

Using PiP mode is simple. All you need to do is load up a video you want to watch in the background. Then, just exit the YouTube app and go about your other tasks. The video will be inside a floating, resizable window while you look at other things.

There’s no timeline on when the update will reach your device. However, YouTube has promised that it will roll out globally within the coming months.

Enterprise

OnePlus has reportedly merged with realme

Both brands were previously rumored for restructuring early this year.

Published

April 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

OnePlus has a problem. For a while now, rumors have swirled about the company’s dissolution. For their part, the company has continued to deny the reports, citing business as usual. Likely to their dismay, the reports just keep coming. Today, sources have hinted that OnePlus has merged with realme.

Back in January, it was rumored that OnePlus would be closing up shop this year. Since the company very quickly denied the rumors, the report hardly made waves. However, a suspected merger with realme is more difficult to debunk.

For one, realme is itself in a very interesting position. Also back in January, realme was reportedly moving back into being a sub-brand of OPPO. Coupled together with the OnePlus debacle, all this internal restructuring seems par for the course.

According to Digital Chat Station on Weibo, OnePlus and realme have already concluded the merger. The two brands have reportedly united their Chinese and international operations under one roof. Likewise, their marketing will be the same. Pete Lau will still be the main head for this new division.

As with anything of this nature, take this with a grain of salt. OPPO, OnePlus, and realme have not issued any official statements concerning a merger or a shutdown for any brand.